Wrench.



1. c. BOTWRIGHT.

WBENGH.

APPLICATION lILED 0UT.4, 1910.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANQORAPH co..wAsM1NGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES ATE r onion.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Application filed October 4, 1910. Serial No. 585,178.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. Bor- WRIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphiaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Wrench, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to wrenches, and has reference more particularlyto a device of this kind, comprising a pair of relatively movable jaws,means Vfor adjusting same, and means whereby the jaws are released fromengagement with an object between them whenthe wrench is turned in onedirection. l

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durablewrench, which is compact in form and light in weight, which issovconstructed that bolt heads, nuts or like objects can be quicklygrasped thereby to permit them to be turned, which can be used as a pipewrench or for other like purposes, and which when turned in onedirection will securely grip the object between the jaws, and whenturned in the opposite direction will be released, so that the wrenchcan be used in a restricted place where it is possible to execute partonly of a turn, but where it is desirable to turn the object part wayand then swing the wrench back for another part turn without releasingthe wrench from the object.

This invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a planview of an embodiment of my invention, showing the same gripping a nut,or a bolt head, and having a part removed; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the wrench, showing the same in a diiferent position inbroken outline; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 3 3of Fig. 1; and Fig. l is an enlarged cross section on the line 1 4 ofFig. 1.

Before proceeding to a more detailed eX- planation of my invention, itshould be clearly understood that while I have shown the same in theaccompanying drawings provided with jaws which are formed to grip nuts,bolt heads and like objects, the device can also be adapted for use as apipe wrench or for similar' purpose.

My invention provides a substitute in the form of an ordinary wrench,for the ratchet wrench, commonly so called, which permits an object tobe turned part way at a time, without necessitating the release of theaws of the wrench from the object. In my wrench, when it is turned inone direction, the jaws separate so that they can be turned about thenut or other object. When it is desired or necessary to turn the wrenchin the opposite direction, the jaws at once become effective to grip theobject securely to permit it to be'turned with the tool.

Certain of the detailsV of construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings form no part of the invention, and can be varied in accordancewith individual preference, and special conditions, without departingfrom the underlying spirit of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a handle 10 whichis of curved form, so that it can beconveniently grasped in the hand,and is hollow to form a casing or chamber 11. The handle has a cover orside plate 12 secured' in place by means of screws 13 or in any othersuitable manner. The plate can be removed to give access to the interiorof the handle to permit those parts of the wrench, which, as will appearhereinafter, are located therein, to be adjusted, repaired or replaced.At the upper end, the handle has an opening 14, in which is located asleeve or collar 15, having at opposite sides projections or trunnions16 loosely received in openings 17 formed in the sides of the handle.

A main slide bar or shank 18 is movably mounted in the collar andextends into the handle, having at the lower endthereof a notch 19,which normally engages an inclined stop projection 20 formed at theinside of one of the handle walls. The main slide bar at the sideopposite the notch 20 has a longitudinal groove 21, inwhich is receiveda correspondingly formed eXtensibn 23 of a secondary bar 22. The latterhas the lower end reduced, so that a shoulder 23a is formed whichengages at the upper edge of the collar. Below the collar, the secondarybar has a transverse key-way 24 of under cut form, in which is located astop key 25, which engages at the lower edge of the collar, so that thesecondary bar is incapable of movement in the direction of its lengthrelative to the collar. A spring 26 is secured at one end by means of ascrew 27 to the secondary bar, and at the free end engages the wall ofthe handle. It tends to force the bars toward the opposite wall so thatit serves to hold the main bar in its normal engagement with the stop20, Tithin the handle near the lower end thereof, is a pin 28, to whichis secured and about which is wound, a spring 29. At the :tree end ofthe latter is fastened a helical spring 30, which in turn is secured atthe lower end of the bar 18, and therefore tends to pull the bardownward and into its normal position.

The upper end 31 of the bar 18 is rounded to form a jaw, and has agroove 32, constituting an extension of the groove 21. At the end of therounded jaw is a stop 33 for the groove 32. A jaw lace 34 has anextension 35 which is loosely received in the groove 32, the jaw facebeing suitably formed for this purpose. It has a notch 36 which receivesthe stop 33. The end there-| of, opposite the notch 36 is beveled, andis located adjacent to the upper end of the secondary bar 22. Thelatter, near its extremity, has a recess 37, similar to a recess 3S nearthe corresponding end of the jaw face. A U-shaped spring 39 has the endspositioned in the recesses 37 and 38, and serves to hold the jaw face,and the secondary bar movably together.

An adjustable jaw member 40 has extensions 41 provided with openings bymeans of which the member is slidably mounted upon the main bar 18 andthe secondary bar 2Q. The jaw member has a threaded opening 42 in whichis received a correspondingly threaded adjusting screw 43, having aburred head 44, and having an end journaled at an extension 45 of thesecondary bar. The adjustable jaw member 40 has a suitable face 47between which and the end of the jaw face 34, a nut or a bolt head 46can be securely gripped.

llVhen it is desired to turn a nut, bolt head, or other object, theadjustable jaw member is moved until the distance between the jaws issuch that the object will be securely gripped. The wrench can then beturned in one direction to turn the object with it. lVhen it is desiredt-o turn the wrench back without correspondingly moving the object, itis merely necessary to move the handle slightly to disengage the bar 13from the stop. The handle can rock at the collar owing to the looseengagement of the trunnions 16 with the openings 17. Then the bar 1S isdisengaged from the stop, the backward movement of the wrench will causethe main bar 18 to be moved outward in the direction of its length. Thesecondary bar, it will be remembered, cannot move in the direction ofits length relative to the collar. Therefore, the wrench can be turnedabout the nut in a backward direction, without correspondingly movingthe nut. The jaw face 34 being loosely mounted within the ro-unded jaw31, a certain amount of play is possible to Jfacilitate the turning ofthe jaws about the nut, and the separation ot the jaws against thetension of the springs 29 and 30.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent.

1. A wrench, comprising a handle having at one end a movably mountedcollar, a jaw bar slidable through said collar, said handle and said barhaving means for holding said bar against longitudinal movement inpredetermined relative positions o said bar and said handle, a secondarybar extending through said collar and held against longitudinalmovement, an adjustable jaw member slidable relatively to said bars, andmeans for adjusting said last mentioned jaw member with respect to saidsecondary bar.

2. A wrench comprising a handle, a collar mounted at the end of saidhandle and having a loose, limited movement, two members extendingthrough said collar, one 'of said members being held therein againstmovement in the direction of its length, the other of said membershaving a jaw and being slidable in said collar, a jaw member adjustablyassociated with said lirstmembers, and means controlled by said handle,for holding one of said first members releasable relative to saidhandle.

3. A wrench, comprising a handle, a slidable jaw bar, means for lockingsaid jaw bar relative to said handle, a spring tending to hold said barin a normal position, and an adjustable jaw member, said bar and saidhandle having means whereby in normal positions thereof, said bar islocked against longitudinal movement, and whereby a predeterminedmovement of said handle releases said bar against the tension of saidspring, and a second spring tending to hold said handle and said bar inlocked relative positions. i

4. A wrench, comprising a handle, a collar movably mounted at one end ofsaid handle, a jaw bar extending slidably through said collar and havinga notch, said handle having a stop projection adapted to engage saidnotch, a `spring tending to hold said bar in a normal position, asecondary bar also extending through said collar but held againstmovement in the direction 'of its length, an adjustable aw membermounted to slide upon said bars, and an adjusting screw connecting saidsecondary bar and said jaw member.

5. In a wrench of the class described, a jaw bar having a rounded endprovided with a groove, a secondary bar, a slidabie jaw member, anadjusting screw connecting said jaw member and said secondary bar, and ajaw face having an extension received in said groove, and movablyconnected With said secondary bar.

6. In a Wrench of the class described, a jaw bar having a rounded endprovided With a groove, a secondary bar, a slidable jaw member, anadjusting screw connecting said jaw member and said Secondary bar,- a javv face having an extension received in said groove, and a springflexibly connecting said jaw face and said secondary bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK CHARLES BOTWRIGHT.

Witnesses:

WM. F. WIEGANY, JOHN P. BRADLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents;

y Washington, D. C.

